Gordie Howe Suffers Major Stroke

Gordie Howe, one of hockey's greatest players, had a serious stroke on Sunday, his son told The Detroit News.

Dr. Murray Howe described the 86-year-old's stroke as "pretty bad," adding the Red Wings legend is now resting at his daughter's home in Lubbock, Texas.

"The right side of his body is very, very weak. He's unable to stand without help. He's able to speak but very, very difficult to speak," he told the newspaper.

Murray, the head of radiology at Toledo Hospital, went on to say his father had "minimally invasive" spinal surgery over the summer but recovered quickly. He had been exercising regularly, walking up to a mile a day before the stroke happened.

"He knows who he is. He knows the people around him. But it is very difficult for him to get up and walk around. So he is pretty much confined to his bed right now," Murray told the News.

He spent most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings, where he formed part of the "Production Line" with players such as Sid Abel, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio and Frank Mahovlich.

As an active player, Howe racked up 2,010 points in 1,924 career NHL games (regular season and playoffs). He holds the record for most regular season games played (1,767), while his goal record of 801 was broken by Wayne Gretzky in 1994.

In 2012, it was confirmed he was living with dementia, a disease that led to his wife's death in 2009, The Canadian Press reported.